LARRY KORNFELD INTERVIEW with Steve Bottoms, 9.95 - Judson ...

LK: The theatre was originally formed by me, Theo Barnes, Crystal and George. [heasks for the tape to be turned off: explains story of falling out with Crystal Field "offthe record"]LK: But also in the early '70s I felt very much also that the church was changing, andneeded those oratorios that Al was doing. The things that Al was doing, startingaround 69/70, used soloists, actors, and huge choruses, the whole church was in thechorus. It became a new thing at the Judson, very exciting. And I directed one ofthem, but not at Judson. A Look at the Fifties was brought to Washington, to ArenaStage, and Al asked me to direct it there, wanted me to shape it a different way. Aftera while I think the real problem was - and this goes back to the earlier question youwere asking about the writers too - Al did not want me to have the strong control, hewanted ultimate control, and I think that was natural for a lot of the playwrights too ...And I think I'm surprising myself now, thinking about this .... because I think that thestronger I got as a director, the more necessary it was for me to work with anonymousactors in the company, and newer playwrights, because those playwrights helped meget born, I helped them get born, we helped each other. And I think all of us wantedto be independent of the movement. It happens ... people want to be together, and thenas they get more sophisticated, pieces break off... And the world was changing, theaudience was changing, and we were heading into the seventies ...[ye gods?] I workedall those places, the regional theatres, and by 1980 I started teaching - and directingtoo - and finding a whole new way of working with younger actors. Now the actors Iwork with in the Conservatory are in fact better trained people, for the most part, thanat Judson. But very few of them are the quite high[ something?]ly wonderfulcharacters that we had at the Judson. But after a while I got tired of depending a lotupon the charisma of a performer, and I wanted to see them doing more acting. Andthey did -- at the Judson -- we would force them into doing things a new waysometimes. But as I taught more, I got more used to actors per se, I used to not beinterested in acting, I used to want to own the audience [??], but as I got more used toactors, I learned how to handle actors better,and now I do truly enjoy working withclassical plays as well as Gertrude Stein. I want very much next year to do Danton 'sDeath.LK: When I'm being an auteur-director. Depending on the production. If I'm doingStein, of course I'm an auteur-director. If I'm doing Eugene Q'Neill, no! I've done oneArthur Miller play, I said oh God I'm doing Arthur Miller, he's awful! And Ithoroughly enjoyed it. The Price. I enjoyed doing it -- to discover how exciting ... howwell he writes from the inside. The inside of Arthur Miller is so... so true, although onthe surface it seems like gunk.